DUBAI // A policeman has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of two men after getting into an argument at a nightclub.
The 41-year-old Emirati, who was off duty, stabbed a Jordanian salesman, 30, and a Syrian marketing manager, 27, on February 19, Dubai Criminal Court was told.
The officer and a 35-year-old compatriot were both charged with physically assaulting the two victims, while the victims, along with a 27-year-old Lebanese friend, were charged with assaulting the two Emiratis.
All five confessed to assault charges.
Presiding judge Fahad Al Shamsi said they should try to reach a settlement outside of court, but the men declined.
All five were at a nightclub in the Capitol Hotel when they got into an argument and began fighting. Security guards managed to break up the fight, however, a few minutes later they started again and were thrown out of the club.
“When we removed them out of the club, two of them engaged in a fist fight but our security guards broke them apart and few seconds later we could hear the screams of one of them. When we looked, he was bleeding from a stab wound in his stomach,” said the club’s head of security, who added an ambulance was called.
When emergency crews and police arrived, two men who were found to have been stabbed. They were taken to Rashid hospital.
The Jordanian’s injury could have been fatal if not the quick intervention of medical staff.
The Syrian said the policeman punched him in the chest stabbed him in the waist.
“He wanted to stab me again but the guards stopped him which saved my life. He intended to kill me,” he said.
Court records did not say why the men started arguing.
The next hearing will be on September 21.
salamir@thenational.ae